


The Prodigal X-Men

by psylocke



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-03
Updated: 2012-10-11
Packaged: 2017-11-15 14:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/528226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psylocke/pseuds/psylocke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of the Avengers vs. X-Men fiasco, the mutants of the Jean Grey School are once again viewed with fear and mistrust. Desperate to distance themselves from the Phoenix Five and their subsequent corruption, a surprising member of the team elects herself leader of a newfound squadron, The Prodigies, in an attempt to foster peace between homo sapien and homo superior. ** CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM AVX #12 **</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Issue #0 - Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea -- after AvX, mutants are more hated than they've been in their history. They need to fix this, rebuild trust, establish better rapport with people. For a little while I toyed around with how to best accomplish this, and the idea of the 'prodigal son', mutants returning hoping to be atoned for their sins, seemed to stick. After reading X-Men Legacy #268, I realized that Frenzy would be the perfect person to lead this. I find her an intriguing character, and a capable one as well. So this team formed around her. It may shift and mould as characters go by the wayside. I wanted this to be a team made up of characters that become wallpaper in the post AvX world, at least as it stands with the current titles: hence the addition of the New Mutants, both first and second generation. I'm expecting weekly updates, maybe bi-weekly, and I really hope you accompany me on this little adventure I'm carving out for myself!

She’d never intended for this to be her chosen path in life — one of good deeds, reparation, and fostering peace. It had all been a fabrication, the result of an alternate universe where she was not only a hero, but married to one. Joanna Cargill moved slowly, listlessly, through the rows upon rows of folding chairs, all empty with the exception of two at the front of the assembly hall. Kitty Pryde — _correction_ , Headmistress Pryde — was talking to her old friend Doug Ramsey. 

Frenzy thought back to the time she had once squared off against Doug and his fellow New Mutants, the times where she had been diametrically opposed to Shadowcat and her do-gooder idealism. Back when such optimism made her sick. This was a world not filled with fear and hatred towards her kind. An entire race that had once been doomed to extinction, only to see it reborn in a blaze of fire and glory.

That left them again feared and maligned. 

And now she was one of them. She was no better than them, no worse. She was an X-Man.

“Frenzy.” The perky, still irksome voice of Kitty rang in her ears. Without turning her head, Joanna glanced fully over at the duo. She was now almost in line with them, her gentle pace through the auditorium hastened through getting lost in thought. “This is Doug — I’m not sure if you’ve met.”

She turned her head to fully look over the boy Cypher. He was now gaunt and hollow, his eyes heavily lidded and bagged, cheeks inset to his face. “We’ve met,” he said just as Joanna had said it. There was a deliberate stress in Doug’s words. He sounded not quite angry, but cold and aloof, timing his words to match hers. His powers had manifested quite distinctly after his death and subsequent resurrection. Doug now understood everything as a sort of language—and he mistrusted her. 

Narrowing her eyes, Joanna let so much as a weak laugh escape her lips. “It’s nice to really meet you though. Hopefully now we can work together.” 

Calculating eyes scanned over her face, reading for some sign of deceit. But he found none. Joanna Cargill had truly changed for the better. There were no lingering doubts about her place in the world. She _was_ one of the X-Men. She always would be one of the X-Men. 

“Doug’s going to be joining your team. Like a second-in-command sort of deal,” Kitty pointed out. Those were words she had not entirely expected. Now it was her turn to scrutinize the gaunt blond. “Unless…?” 

Frenzy shook her head. “If that’s what he wants, he’s more than welcome to it. I wasn’t expecting much from the staff.”

“We want to support you, Jo.” The nickname caused Joanna to flinch. Scott, her Scott, had been the one to first use the pet name and somehow it had stuck. “You’re doing the right thing. We’re all here to help.”

Through the exchange, Doug had remained quiet. He moved slowly and precisely, meticulously crafting narrative in his head: a logical structure through which all things made sense to him. “It’s not just me joining,” he admitted. His tongue grazed over his lips. “Dani and Amara. Warlock, too. We’re all… looking for a new direction.” 

Folding her arms over her chest, Joanna finally crossed towards the two seated X-Men, standing before them. It wasn’t meant to be an imposing form, but she certainly asserted her power and dominance, even if both of the younger mutants had higher seniority than her. “So that’s four of us. Four of us against the entire world.”

“We’re X-Men,” Kitty said quietly, a sly smirk forming on her face. “We’ve faced tougher odds. Besides—” She cut herself off and stood abruptly. Any sort of professionalism she had manufactured for herself during her tenure as headmistress of the school seemed to vanish in an instant. Before Joanna was just a young, wide-eyed girl, overflowing with idealism and big ideals. “Like I said, we’re all here for you. This isn’t a closed-door operation. This is a group effort. It’s just going to be _your guys’_ baby.”

“Shouldn’t this be everybody’s priority?” Joanna asked, a hint of tension in her voice. She eyed Kitty up and down, sizing her up, a habit that she hadn’t dropped. It was no question that she could take her in a fight. 

Immediately she regretted even thinking that, as Cypher stood up and almost protectively put himself between the two women. His lips were furled downward, and he was watching Joanna tentatively. _You can sit down now,_ she thought with purpose, changing her expression slightly. Made it softer. It seemed to resonate as he calmed himself, uncurling his fists. 

Kitty seemed oblivious to the entire mental exchange, still smiling her ever-present smile. “It _is_ our priority. Top priority, always. But we also need to do actual damage control. We need to make sure Scott is okay—we’re all a little bit worried about him.”

“Scott’s fine. He’s always fine,” she snapped, more vitriol than expected. “He can take care of himself.” 

Joanna had been one of the few not to have her memories wiped from the Age of X. It had been a conscious decision, she wanted a reason to stay on the side of good. The biggest drawback came from the unresolved feelings towards Scott Summers. The Phoenix. The corrupted. She thought she had moved past that, but apparently the issues were not as gone as she wanted herself to believe. Mentally pinching herself, Frenzy watched Kitty for a reaction. “But we need to find him. _Contain him_ ,” she said. There was a purpose behind her words, and in that moment Joanna fully appreciated why Kitty had been made headmistress. 

She was a fighter. Joanna saw a lot of herself in Katherine Pryde. The briefest of smiles tugged on her lips. “Alright,” she said, nodding stiffly, reverting back to her usual, harder demeanour. “While you’re out looking for a pariah, _we_ are going to make damn sure the people of this world know that they can trust us.” Her eyes drifted over to Doug, who looked so gangly standing there without his defences on. “Think you can handle the challenge, kid?”

“Doug’s _always_ up for a challenge,” Kitty interjected.

Cypher just smiled. 


	2. Issue #1 - Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The X-Men, headed by Kitty Pryde, host a joint press conference with Steve Rogers of the Avengers. While Iceman and Frenzy discuss the Phoenix Five situation and their opinions on the matter, the repercussions of their actions have taken hold on the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning as the mutant population must atone for the crimes of the prodigal son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned that updates would likely be weekly or bi-weekly, but it's more likely that for the next week or so there may be more updates - I say 'may' as there are other things I'd like to work on - but as of right now, my inspiration and drive are high for this project, and I'd like to emotionally invest myself before school becomes an imposing factor in my ability to write. Issue #2 will introduce the rest of the core cast as I presently see it, and the book will stop being focused so heavily on Frenzy's character, though I will admit I quite like writing from her point of view, as it was never one I considered before recently.

“This is our prerogative — humanity, compassion, peace, _acceptance._ ” 

There was a smattering of applause, though not nearly as much as there once had been. In fact, the entire auditorium was emptier than usual. No throngs of reporters looking to bombard them with questions — even negative ones. No curious visitors just eager to take a look around the campus’ secrets and expanses. 

But by god there were plenty of mutants. 

Physical mutates, telepaths, pyrokinetics. They had turned up in droves and droves. Some of them were children, some were adults, but the majority of them were teenagers, the in-between stage where the X-gene seemed to make itself most prevalent. All had just developed their powers. Most of them were terrified. 

“Processing’s been a real pain in the ass,” mumbled Bobby Drake — codename: Iceman — as the applause for Headmistress Pryde died down. He was leaning over slightly in his chair, eying the crowd, his voice kept low so that the only person who could hear him was Jo. “There’s a huge influx of people who want to enrol. As if _this_ is the place that’ll keep them safe—we’re pariahs, man.”

Frenzy only responded via a curt nod, keeping her own eyes focused on Kitty. It was an address to the people, meant to assuage any fears that the X-Men had been corrupted. The conference had been championed by Captain America himself, determined to set things right once and for all. The battle for the Phoenix left many legacies shattered, the reputation of the X-Men amongst them.

“It is our hope—our _wish_ —that you stand by us through these trying times as we reestablish ourselves. As we work on doing the right thing.” 

Another brief smattering of applause, though it was becoming apparent that the primary audience were the existing X-Men, sitting in two uniform rows behind the podium. A scan of the audience told Joanna all she needed to know: people were here to see if something would go wrong. Attention was waning. Even the reporters couldn’t be bothered to report on such a thing. Three cameras from three separate news stations were rolling, and that was their best chance at finding an audience. There were a few eager faces, but they were few and far between. Mutantkind had lost the war. The Avengers had won it.

“They’ve had Shan doing all this enrolment stuff — and Paige, and Hank, and Bets,” Bobby continued humming at her, clearly uncaring that his audience was more apathetic than the one for the press conference. “They’re saying we’re going from thirty-odd students to like over one hundred again. _Plus_ there’s even more demand.” He paused, voice growing concerned. “People are _afraid_.”

“They have reason to be,” Joanna finally answered. 

Before them, Kitty remained at the podium, steeling herself against a barrage of questions — What about Scott Summers? Where is he now? Are the X-Men standing alongside the actions of the Phoenix Five? How can we trust you when your kind did _that_?

She was pushed aside by Steve Rogers, who seemed more than willing to answer the questions for her. They battled for possession of the microphone, though Kitty gave way as she realized it was doing more harm than good when she spoke. 

“Why should they be afraid of us?” Bobby asked, still mostly talking to himself. “We did nothing wrong. It’s Scott that should—” 

“They made a mistake.”

“They almost destroyed _everything_.”

“I never said we should forgive them.” 

As the conversation grew more heated, Joanna turned her head slightly to realize that their voices had been raising. At the podium, Kitty and Steve had turned back to see the commotion, brows arched, neither particularly impressed by the display. Bobby had gone red in the face, casting his eyes downward sheepishly. “You kids finished?” Captain America asked — _God_ , how she hated to feel berated by somebody like him. But Frenzy only nodded. Insubordination wasn’t her operative anymore. “Good.” He turned back to the crowd. “Now, as I was saying— _yes_ , locating Scott Summers and the Phoenix Five is the primary objective of the Avengers at present, and Miss Pryde here has _assured_ me that the X-Men will be doing everything in their power to locate their ex-teammates and see justice brought to them.”

She stopped listening then, and focused her attention on the crowd. Crossing one leg stiffly over the other, she scanned over the faces. Apathetic, untrusting, distracted, all of them. 

How was she supposed to convince them to forget hate and fear? How had she even once believed this to be a good idea? The Prodigal X-Men … it _had_ been her idea, something she had brought up out of desperation. It was never her place to assert dominance over another species. She had no interest in the beliefs of humans, for much of her life asserting herself to be infinitely superior to them. 

Responsibility accompanies power. That was where mutantkind had fumbled. They had turned a blind eye to corruption and despair for too long. Yes, they had come around — _she_ had come around — but it was too late in the eyes of the innocents. They hadn’t done enough when they could have done it all.

They would have to work, and dig, and pry back the respect her people so rightfully deserved. And with God as her witness, Joanna Cargill fully intended to be the one to bring it to them.

“—And now, leader of a newly formed squadron, X-Men member _Frenzy._ ” 

Kitty stepped aside as Joanna got to her feet. Lumbering steps brought her to the podium, accompanied by a dismal round of applause. There was some mumbling as she took to the stage, likely those recognizing her from herpast. 

_They learned to forgive Magneto_ , she reminded herself. _They will forgive me, as the X-Men have._

The claps died down without much pomp and circumstance, leaving her at the mercy of the audience. She had a speech prepared — _where was it?_ A quick glance over her shoulders, Joanna caught the eye of Shadowcat, who offered an encouraging smile. Craning her neck even further, she saw the loose piece of paper with her scrawled handwriting sitting on the edge of her seat. Cursing herself quietly, she thought better of delaying the progression of the event — the course of the evening had already been seemingly dictated. She could see it in their eyes. The dull, emotionless stares. The anger and resentment behind some of their masks. 

“Good evening,” she said instead, voice calm. “My name is Joanna Cargill. Frenzy.” She paused, waiting. It wasn’t like her to get nervous under pressure, and she _wasn’t_ nervous. She was anxious. There was a fine, minute difference between the two. If things messed up, it would all be on _her_ shoulders. “I want to talk to you about mutants for a sec’.” Another pause. “I hope you don’t mind.”

She could just _feel_ the tension emanating from Kitty Pryde.

“For the past, what, twenty, thirty, forty years, we have been hunted. We have been feared. I am not going to _lie_ to you and say that we didn’t deserve some of it. There were bad amongst us.” Correction. “There _are_ bad amongst us. All of us. Human and mutant alike. But we want to change that. _Fix_ that. The Phoenix Force is gone. But we’re here to stay.”

Tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

“I’m not here to make excuses—to _excuse_ what was done. What I am here to do is to try and make things better.”

A voice cut in over her. Joanna started, crooking her head to the right. One of the reports seemed to have finally woken up. “How do you expect to do that? You’ve got _Scott Summers_ , your leader, on the run. You’re missing Frost, Namor, and _both_ Rasputins. You’re shattered, divided, and now you’re exposed as just a bunch of screw ups. How in the hell do you think you can make this better?”

Murmurs of dissent fell over the group. The human half of the congregation seemed to agree wholeheartedly with the man from the paper, while the mutants — and certainly the X-Men positioned behind Joanna — kept mum. There was still more tension. From her peripheries, Frenzy saw Kitty get up, inching her way closer to the stage.

But she spoke faster than the headmistress could walk.

“We come to you as the prodigal son,” she said, quoting a bible story she remembered so vividly from her childhood, of the boy who lived to excess, only to return home broken, wanting nothing but the forgiveness of a father. “We have lost the man that made the X-Men a trusted group. Charles Xavier was a father to many of the people behind me. A long-time adversary to others. But in the end, his message, his vision, his hope… it guided us to the path of the right. I cannot speak for all the mutants on Earth, but I speak not just for myself now, but for _all_ the X-Men, past, present, and future when I say this.”

Joanna could feel Kitty right behind her, inches from the microphone, but she seemed to have stopped, waiting to hear what she would say next.

“We will not stop until you’ve come to trust us again. Until we have rebuild the damage caused by the Phoenix. We will no longer stand by and let external forces shape our world and society,” she said finally, taking in a short breath of air. “I’m sorry for what has happened, but I promise you I will make it better.”


	3. Issue #2 - Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the elimination of the Phoenix Force, mutantkind resurged for the first time since the Decimation, creating a generation of new mutants, and restoring powers to those that had lost them during M-Day. Victor Borkowski and Julian Keller, following a spar in the Danger Room, encounter one such mutant - a blast from the past, particularly for Julian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I told you there'd be different characters! Of course, after writing half this chapter, I read an article stating that mutants who had lost their powers during M-Day didn't actually get them back. Consider that the first diversion from the source material. I liked the idea of reintroducing a character that wasn't part of the 198, and believe that it's a vital role in any team, being the person who asks questions and is far enough removed from the loop that it can provide exposition for the reader. Hopefully you enjoy!

There was a sickening crunch when Vic Barkowski hit the brick. It wasn’t his body that made the sound, but the wall itself. His spine straightened on impact, but his scaly skin was tough and resilient. Despite the abrupt impact, his body hanged limp as his arms were pinned down. His stature was a small one, with the exception of his regrown arm, but he was _strong,_ and yet he couldn’t shake free of the hold. 

“Keller! Let me down!” he voice covered much of the school grounds, but they were alone and there was nobody to help him. The green aura that glowed with use of Julian Keller’s powers waned only slightly as the young man approached him, appearing suddenly from behind one of the trees. There was a smirk on his face just begging to be punched off, but he had asserted his dominance in the situation. Victor could only struggle through kicking his legs.

“I’m telling you, Vic, you need to learn how to beat a telekinetic if you’re gonna make first line,” Julian said. There was a momentary lapse in his hold, and the green flickered, giving Victor the opportunity to — 

“Ha!” he shouted as he sprang off the wall. He jettisoned towards Julian, arms shooting out as their bodies connected and Anole, despite being shorter and ultimately less muscular, managed to send Hellion sprawling to the ground. Pinning him down, one arm raised up and punched down heavily against Julian’s face, connecting with his cheekbone. 

Julian’s face contorted as he turned his head to the side, spitting onto the lawn. “We even now?” he asked, that same smirk reforming on his face. He widened his jaw, stretching it out, trying to feel through the pain. 

Pulling himself off, Victor nodded. “Yeah,” he said. There was sweat beading down his forehead. With knees cracking as he stood, he raised a hand, and around them the simulation vanished. What was once the Jean Grey School grounds transformed into what had once been the danger room. Though the entire school could now convert at will, there was a sense of nostalgia about returning to the cavernous metallic room. He stretched out a hand to let Julian up, a smile on his own face. “Be more careful next time you’re lobbing trees at me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hellion replied, noncommittal, taking the hand and straightening up. His fingers went instantly to the swollen skin on his cheek. “That’s gonna leave a mark, dude.” 

“Be thankful I didn’t give you a concussion.”

The two walked towards the door, sliding open upon their arrival. The blinding lights of the subbasement welcomed them. Upon entering the hallway, both made a careful effort to check their surroundings. Nobody was there, nobody watching — technically, neither were supposed to be in the Danger Room on their own accord, without staff intervention. “Nice,” Julian mumbled, and both carried off down one hallway. They moved quickly, trying to get out of the basement before they were caught. 

“—It’s simply _fascinating,”_ a voice echoed through the halls. Hank McCoy — the ubiquitous Beast — was talking to himself. They could hear his shuffling footsteps coming closer, stopping them both in their tracks. “I cannot wait to examine…”

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit,” Julian whispered hoarsely, grabbing hold of Vic’s arm and tugging him backwards. 

Anole slipped free of his grasp. “You’re on you’re own, Julian,” he said with a curious smile as he leapt into the air. Soundlessly, his body attached itself to the ceiling as his skin colour faded away, matching that of the wall. His clothes still hung limply off his body, but it was difficult to discern against the white of the roof.

“Screw you, Borkowski,” Julian hissed.

Just before he intended to turn back and run for his life, Hank turned the corner, his gargantuan blue frame imposing in his direction. The Beast was distracted by something in his hand, but there was another person with him. Julian blinked, distracted by the sight, cocking his head to the side. “Sofia?” he asked breathlessly.

Sofia Mantega stared back at him, eyes widening. 

“Oh! Good afternoon, Mister Keller,” Hank said, looking up only briefly from the papers before him. “Mister Borkowski.” Wordlessly, Vic dropped from the ceiling, letting out a quiet sigh. “I hope the two of you enjoyed your unsanctioned session in the Danger Room?” 

Neither really knew what to say in response, Julian and Victor looking back and forth between one another in an attempt to formulate an answer. Fortunately, Hank managed to breach the silence. “I take it you both remember Miss Mantega?”

“What are you—” 

Julian was at a loss. It had been nearly two years since he’d last seen Sofia. Two years she had been on her own, without a goodbye, without an apology. 

“Miss Mantega, as you recall, was one of the… unfortunate victims of the Decimation,” Hank interjected. It was for the best, as Sofia seemed too stunned to speak, eyes locked on Julian’s. Clearly she hadn’t intended for this reunion to happen, at least not so suddenly. “Since the elimination of the Phoenix Force, and the re-emergence of the mutant genome, we’ve had many new visitors to the school. But a _former_ guest has come to reacquaint herself.” 

“You—you…” Julian was stammering now, completely at a loss. It was unlike him to lose his cool in such a way. He was a kicker, a screamer, a no-holds-barred fighter. He didn’t panic. 

“You got your powers back?” Victor asked, tilting his head to the side. Unlike the other two students, he had a wide smile on his face. Without warning, he rushed forward to wrap his arms around Sofia, who seemed to return the hug with some hesitance. As Vic held her tightly, her eyes lingered on Julian, unable to smile at him. 

“Indeed,” Hank reasoned, resuming his walk right as the hug broke apart. Sofia followed him, skirting around Julian, who spun to say something, mouth hanging open, trying to get the words out that he’d wanted to say since he vanished without a word.

“I’m sorry.”

Sofia stopped mid-step, and Hank followed suit just moments later when he realized that his audience had vanished. She turned slowly, pivoting on her heel, face contorting from indifference to anger. “You’re _sorry_ , Julian?! You’re sorry?”

Sensing that he should probably do something, Victor stepped back to let the argument continue. 

“For what I said,” Julian clarified. “Or for what I did. I didn’t—I didn’t mean to…”

“You didn’t mean to do anything! Because that’s what you _do_ , Keller. You act as if everything’s a joke. You always have, you always will. You abandoned me!” Somewhere between her rage and vitriol, Sofia’s eyes began to water. 

Victor clenched his jaw, stepping forward again, putting a firm hand on Julian’s shoulder. “Sof, come on…”

“Stay out of this, Victor,” she snapped in response. Steeling her eyes on Julian, she stepped forward. 

“Sofia, please, can we talk about this later?” Julian asked, almost pleading. 

“You were the one who wanted to _apologize_.” 

“Because I’m sorry!”

“You meant what you said, Keller,” she responded, the harshness lost from her voice, replaced by hurt and betrayal. “You just didn’t think I’d hear about it, or you didn’t think I’d lost my powers, whatever it was, you just didn’t _think_. You never think.”

With those words, she turned away again. Beast swivelled with her, casting a concerned glance at the two boys behind him, and then one to Sofia herself. “If you don’t mind,” he said as they began walking again, “I’d like to take some samples of—” 

They turned the corner, leaving Julian alone with Victor pressing tightly to his shoulder. For a few moments, they merely stood there in stunned silence. Anole considered saying something, anything, to defuse the tension, but before he could find the words, Julian was shrugging out of his grip. 

“… You alright?” he asked quietly.

“Do me a favour, Vic,” Julian said softly, beginning to walk away. Victor followed close behind, but Hellion stopped him. “Just fuck off, alright?” 

Victor pressed his lips together as Julian held him back with his telekinesis. He watched as the boy who had gone from being his adversary to one of his closest friends walked away, sadder than he’d ever seen him, and there was nothing he could do. 

Once Julian got a fair enough distance away, the telekinetic hold loosened and Victor’s muscles went slack. A breath he didn’t know he was holding in escaped his mouth. With nowhere else to go, he turned in the direction that Doctor McCoy and Sofia had gone. Rather than tailing Julian, he opted to follow them.

He hadn’t gotten far before spotting her. Sofia was huddled up against the door next to the medical bay, head buried in her knees. “Sof?” he asked softly, taking a few tentative steps closer. When she didn’t move, he repeated the actions, drawing ever closer. He stopped short of moving next to her, instead crouching down a few inches away, giving her the space should she desire it. “Come on, Sofia, can we talk?”

It took her a solid minute before looking up. On several occasions Vic considered just getting up and walking away, but something made him stay. His eyes remained focused on her, heart sinking with each passing moment, but he remained silent as she worked up the ability to say what she needed to stay. “I haven’t stopped thinking about him,” she admitted finally, voice hoarse and breaking. “I— Every night. I dreamt about him every night.”

Vic reached out slowly, putting his less mutated arm on her knee, squeezing it gently. “It’s okay, sweetie…” he whispered. 

“I thought—I thought maybe I could forgive him. Once I actually came back here, I’d forget about… everything he said.” She paused, finally looking up at him. He’d never seen her so upset. “But then I saw him. Maybe I wasn’t ready for it, I hadn’t worked up the… courage, I guess, but…” She slowly shook her head. “I don’t forgive him for what he said about David, casting him off like that because he lost his powers.”

“You know he didn’t—” 

“He did mean it, though, Vic, stop _covering_ for him.” Her voice was growing tense again. Anole sat himself fully onto the ground, scooting closer to her, knees touching.

“I’m not covering for him, Sof,” he replied. “I’ve been here with Julian since… since you left. He’s paid his dues. He’s not the same douchebag that bullied me the first couple months. He’s different.”

She sniffed, rolling her shoulders loosely. “I don’t know, Victor. I just—I don’t think I’m ready to be here.”

“You’ve got your powers back, though?” She nodded slowly. Victor smiled, squeezing her knee once again. “Then you’re ready to be here. This is your home, Sof, it’s always been your home. You belong here.” He smiled widely, baring his teeth. “I’m really glad you’re back. I missed you.”

Sofia paused before answering. “I’ve been meaning to ask. What happened to your arm?”


	4. Issue #3 - Dominance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Utopia fell, its mutant residents returned to their old lives. For most, that meant going back to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. The Three-in-One - Celeste, Mindee, and Phoebe Cuckoo - are amongst those fortunate enough to be granted a space back in the school, which is now overflowing with new recruits. As they attempt to return to their former glory in the wake of Emma Frost's disappearance, they are granted an offer by Frenzy that is almost too good to pass up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head, this is the turning point of the story's first arc - Issues #0-#5 would all be collected in a trade paperback, labelled with some clever saying, and sold at an introduction to the cast. Additionally, it's giving me the opportunity to figure out who interacts best with who, where the rest of the series will go. My focus thus far has been on the students, but the next couple issues will focus more heavily on the faculty, culminating in the "official" formation of the team in issue #5. I hope you enjoy this one!

#The sun is too bright.#

#Stop complaining.#

#Only if you stop reading my thoughts.#

#Do you really think I enjoy hearing your incessant rantings and ravings about Julian Kellar? He’s a peasant! Good for nothing more than a footrest.#

_#Would the both of you stop?#_

The intensity with which the thought registered alarmed both Celeste and Phoebe. Two-thirds of the Stepford Cuckoos, down from five who had come into existence together, turned their heads to face the middle sister. Mindee had on her face the same platonic expression the others did, but the insistence in her thoughts had been made clear.

Influence was a subtle thing in the hive mind of Three-in-One. Each sister was equally as powerful as the others, leaving brute strength an unsavoury option for dominance. Instead, in came down to perseverance, cunning, and stealth.

Things had changed since they lost Sophie and Esme. Things had gotten more complicated. The world was different now than it was before, they could feel it, they were the ones who had detected it, noticed the change. Cerebro had reacted with a surge of power, overriding their cognitive processes, showing them the whole of the earth for a fleeting moment. 

It was an earth repopulated with the mutant species.

That forced them to reevaluate everything.

#Is that the game you’re playing, Mindee?#

_#I don’t know what you’re talking about.#_

Miss Frost was a distant memory now — there was no use running to her defence. Not anymore. They had once been her prized pupils, then they forced themselves to break away from her likeness, only to be drawn in again. The Cuckoos weren’t foolish, though. This was a cataclysmic change. It was impossible for them, even with their telepathic prowess, to imagine a scenario in which the White Queen was forgiven for her crimes.

#Without Miss Frost here to keep you in line, you think that you can just—#

_#I was only trying to make the two of you stop bickering!#_

On the surface, each of the three girls seemed content, mildly amused if anything. They stood in the kitchens to the Jean Grey School, their first time visiting in quite some time. Immediately upon their return, they resumed their status as top students, ignoring the rest of the common masses as they readjusted to once again living the dormitory life.

Celeste had just turned to place her empty milk glass into the sink when she collided with a substance familiar to her — _diamond_. 

“Watch it.” Roxy Washington didn’t so much as look up at the three Cuckoos as she carelessly set her plate and fork into the sink, brushing past Celeste to get into one of the cupboards.

“Excuse me?” Celeste said, keeping her cool, but her reflexes were sharp as she pivoted on her heel to face the perpetrator. 

#Don’t bother,# Phoebe thought, a distinctive sigh echoing through the hive mind. #Roxanne Washington. Bling. I daresay she’s copied our power, too.#

The girl was amongst those that had found shelter at the school during a time of persistent persecution towards mutants. Her skin had changed into a rock-hard filament that was capable of producing diamonds. She was in no mood to be pushed around by the Cuckoos, and her dissatisfaction showed clearly on her face. Her brow quirked — a slow, stiff movement, punctured in its intent — and she let out a sharp laugh. “I don’t know which one you are, but you guys are the newbies here again. You can’t play top dog anymore.”

_#Who does she think she is?#_

#Ungrateful.#

#Does she not realize who we are?”

There had been a moment, however fleeting, that the Cuckoos considered some form of retaliation. Their thoughts moved at a mile a minute, too fast to process individually, but that momentary lapse in decision-making allowed Bling to disengage herself from both conversation and confrontation. Grabbing a whole package of cookies from the shelf, she turned back around to exit the kitchen.

She hadn’t gotten more than a few feet when she skirted to avoid a taller figure entering the kitchen. Roxy didn’t bother giving it a second glance, she never did, but the voice implored her to stop. “Just the girls I was looking for.”

The deep voice of Joanna Cargill cut through Roxy. She had a soft spot for the adjunct professor, the reformed villain who had carved a path for herself amongst the X-Men despite initial misgivings. It fluttered between respect, admiration, and any combination of emotions in between. Even though Frenzy wasn’t speaking directly to her, Roxy stopped on the threshold of the door and leaned against the wall, silently opening her snack to eavesdrop on the conversation.

_#What does she want?#_

#Read her mind.#

#She’s a _professor_. We can’t just do that.#

#Fine. _Ask_ her, then.#

“Yes?” all three voices rang in unison, only a quarter of a second passed between the asking of the question and the response.

Frenzy let out a shiver. “Stop with the echo thing. Gives me the creeps.”

#Ingrate.#

“Yes, Miss Cargill,” one of them said with a hint of spite. Frenzy couldn’t differentiate the voices, even when they weren’t speaking over one another. She never made the effort to learn, either.

“Right,” she said, looking over each of the three girls with scrutiny. “I’m surprised you’re still here. Not complaining, though. I figured you’d run off with Emma—” 

“We three Cuckoos have made the decision to _distance_ ourselves from Miss Frost, thank you very much.” 

#Insubordinate.#

Frenzy folded her arms at her chest. “I said I wasn’t complaining.” Her gaze was particularly directed at Mindee, who had taken the stance to be in the middle of the group, used as a mouthpiece. This fact did not go unnoticed by her sisters, but the thoughts about it were fleeting and kept private, not wanting to set off alarms. They’d seen what had happened the last time one of the three took subversive control over the hive, and truthfully they were more concerned than angry. It was impossible to keep secrets from each other, at least on a conscious level. There were ways to circumvent it, but it was difficult to do effectively. Everything eventually wound up on the debate table, this was no different.

_#Stop thinking like that,#_ Mindee thought. Her voice remained resonant in the echoing hollows of their mind. _#I’m not playing at anything.#_

#Your tone betrays you, sister.#

“I asked if you were listening to me,” Frenzy said with a tone of impatience. The Cuckoos continued to ignore her.

#You know what happened with Sophie. With Esme.#

#We do not wish for it to happen again.#

“Ladies?”

_#I appreciate the concern, but there’s absolutely no need for it.#_

#Of course not.#

_#Don’t bring it up again.#_

The suggestion was more of a command. Immediately, the eyes of both Celeste and Phoebe flicked back to Joanna, looking her over resolutely. “Of course we’re listening,” Celeste snapped. “You want us to join your team of _Prodigies.”_

“I can’t say we’re not surprised,” Phoebe continued. “We are the most powerful telepaths in the school, with Miss Frost gone.”

“Quentin Quire,” Bling added sharply. “Miss Grey. Ruth. In fact, I’m pretty sure _Martha_ ’s got more power than the three of you.”

Had Joanna Cargill been more attuned to telepathy, she may have noticed that Roxy immediately shut up. It was a simplistic form of mind control, nowhere near the full amount of power they were capable of. Just an innocuous look, a simple command to _keep quiet_ , and all Roxy could do was stand there, glaring daggers at the three blonde girls. Instead, Frenzy simply looked back at Bling with a quizzical expression, choosing to ignore the interruption, focusing the whole of her attention on the Cuckoos. “There’s a specific reason I chose the three of you,” she expressed, voice curt. “You were Emma Frost’s proteges. If people see you—” 

“You’re milking us for the publicity,” Mindee stated matter-of-factly. 

There was a pause as Frenzy considered the logistical, nightmarish headache that she was going to face over the next few minutes, even _if_ they stayed out of her brain. “No,” she said finally, again looking at each of them. “None of this is for publicity. It’s genuine effort to rebuild our relationship with humans.”

“What relationship?” 

Frenzy’s eyes lingered longest on Mindee’s. Perhaps she couldn’t differentiate the three girls based on appearance and voice, but she knew that this one, the middle one, was the one that she had to watch out for. Her gaze pierced deep, looking for some distinguishing mark on her, something that made her stand out amongst her sisters. There was nothing. “Humans and mutants need to be at peace again.”

“A curious thought, coming from a _reformed supervillain_ ,” Mindee muttered, but she made her voice clear enough to be heard.

Joanna exhaled sharply through her nose. “Listen,” she said. It was difficult to keep calm among these three, but she did her best. It took everything in her power not to totally snap on them. “I’m trying to make a difference here. You claim to be the most powerful telepaths in the school. With Xavier dead, Frost on the run, that means it’s up to the three of _you_ to represent mutantkind.”

A silent conference was going on in the heads of the Cuckoos — a quiet struggle in their options. Subtle, angry looks were passed between the girls, each trying to claim dominance over the gestalt mind. There was a split decision, there was always a split decision, but there were three of them. Majority rules.

“No,” Mindee finally said. “We aren’t joining your team.”

Frenzy’s eyes narrowed.

“Miss Cargill,” Phoebe said, “I would love to be your prodigy.” 

Mindee glanced over sharply. “Me too,” Celeste said, a hint of spite in her voice, but as she looked over to Mindee, there was a semblance of condolence in her eyes. It only made the dominant sister fume.

“Good,” Joanna mumbled. “You didn’t have a choice, either way.” 

On that, she turned away, not waiting for any words of protest from the Cuckoos. She exited down the right hallway, leaving Roxy alone with the three girls. It took just one look at them to realize that remaining there was a bad idea. Pivoting on her heel, Roxy followed, letting the Three-in-One fester.

“Miss Cargill?” Roxy hollered when she realized she wouldn’t be able to catch up. 

Though she seemed annoyed by the intrusion, Joanna stopped and turned around. “What is it, kid?” 

Roxy stared up at the teacher she most respected, a medley of emotions coursing through her. “I was wondering if—maybe I could join your team, too. You didn’t ask me, I realize that, but I was—” 

Frenzy smirked, cutting her off. “I just expected you’d be there,” she said with a hint of finality and turned away, heels clicking against Jean Grey School’s hardwood floors. “You’re my favourite student, after all.”


	5. Issue #4 - Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With two halves of the whole reuniting, members of the X-Men that hadn't worked alongside one another in months are regrouping. Following the deferral of her brother, Cannonball, to the Avengers, Paige Guthrie has been struggling with her shedding problem alone. Enter Danielle Moonstar, ex-flame to Cannonball and the one person that Paige doesn't want to be sharing a bathroom with, who wants to try to help, only to have her attempts go up in flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, there's just been a lot going on, and it's funny that this chapter was simultaneously the easier and the hardest for me to write thus far. I wrote the first half really quickly, hit a road block, took a week to get back to it, and then finished the second half really quickly. You can definitely see the shift in tone and really the whole focus of the chapter as you progress, but I think it's an interesting one. And, yes, as mentioned in a previous volume, those who lost their powers on M-Day have regained them. For those that don't know, Danielle's power is/was the ability to manifest a person's nightmares and desires. I couldn't find the proper place to wedge that into this chapter, sorry about that!

Every morning was the same.

She would wake at the crack of dawn, a carryover from her time spent in Kentucky. Six fifty-five would strike, and even without the rooster’s calls, her brain would automatically energize itself. There were some mornings that she would simply lay around in bed, wallowing in her self-pity, but it was impossible for her to genuinely fall asleep after waking up. Even at night, she had to be on the brink of passing out from exhaustion if she wanted her mind to shut down. It had become such a bad habit that her daily exercise routines had shifted from midday to midnight, accompanied by a small glass of wine and an Ambien. The prescription explicitly said not to mix with alcohol, but she had tried all three methods of curing insomnia separately, then in pairs, and found she could only fall into a productive sleep if all three were taken together.

When she finally managed to force herself out from under her covers, the trek to the washroom became a journey in and of itself. Her room had purposely been equipped without mirrors, but the bathroom was another story entirely. It was still dark in the en suite bathroom, shared between her and Danielle Moonster, and for a moment she hesitated, not wanting to flip the switch that would start the false incandescence, but it was impossible to get ready without it. Her hand reached back, slowly, carefully, and then she managed to illuminate the small, rectangular room. 

Nothing had changed for Paige Guthrie since coming to teach at the Jean Grey School — nothing but Paige herself. 

It was time to face her fears. Paige’s gaze slowly drew upward, settling on the thin white t-shirt reflected in the mirror before her. It lingered as she worked up the courage to glance even higher, but she stopped short of her chin. “I can’t do it,” she mumbled to herself, bowing stiffly over the sink. Blindly, she ran the cold tap, cupping her hands beneath the faucet, pooling the clear, chlorine-smelling water in her hands before splashing it on her face, masking the tears that had begun to well in the corners of her eyes. 

She hissed as the frigid water grazed her sensitive skin. 

Every morning, Paige Guthrie would go to the bathroom, avoid looking herself in the eye, run ice cold water, and wash her face in an attempt to stop the burning sensation that had begun to build beneath her dermis, the boiling of blood, a ceaseless fire that grew inside her, singeing her flesh, causing it to moult and peel away. And every morning the effort would be in vain.

Relief was quick and not substantive enough for the effort and torment she went through. Shedding was something that Paige had grown used to — her codename was _Husk_ for a reason, capable of peeling away entire layers of skin to reveal different forms beneath — but this was different. Her face was calloused in places, fragmented and decaying before her very eyes, like the remains of a sunburn peeling off to reveal a fresh, supple line of skin beneath. Only for Paige, it was never that easy. It was a concentrated effort to make sure she didn’t accidentally unleash a secondary form of mutation, holding back the offensive nature of her power in a desperate bid to be a normal girl.

She had started to forget what it meant to be _normal_. Ever since — 

_Knock, knock._

“Paige?”

_Shit._

Staring herself in the face, Paige was forced to make a split-second decision. Run and hide or stand her ground. The washcloth and the moisturizer wouldn’t help in such a short amount of time. She was frozen in place, trying to make as little noise as possible. Eyes cast towards her bedroom, she started the sprint that would take her clear of Dani. They hadn’t been sharing the en suite for very long, only since her return from Utopia, and there had been an awkward tension between them. Maybe Dani wouldn’t admit to it, but she felt it — Paige was the reason her brother had left the New Mutants team, the reason that he and Dani could never progress their relationship. 

There was no real reason for her to feel guilty, but she did regardless. She hadn’t been there for him, hadn’t let him be there for her. Every opportunity he took to talk, she’d broken away and refused him the chance. Now he was even further gone, he was an Avenger. Left the mansion and the X-Men behind him. 

The very thought distracted her enough for Paige to lose her sense of coordination. On the threshold between the tiled bathroom and the hardwood bedroom, her foot slipped on a slick patch, sending her leg shooting forward, and her body crashing sideways.

Dani’s door swung open upon hearing the crash, the Cheyenne warrior dressed in her pyjamas barging through to make sure she was okay. Her hands reached out, attempting to fix around Paige’s shoulders, but the girl angrily brushed them off.

“Are you—”

“I’m _fine,”_ she snapped back, leading Dani to pull her hand away. Paige stood swiftly, trying to get away. She had already turned her head as far as it would go, burying it into the fabric of her shirt. Tears stung her eyes, but she didn’t bother wiping them away. When she reached her bed, she collapsed on it, digging her head into her pillow. 

She was too distracted to realize that Dani had followed her.

The first indication she gave was by sitting on the edge of the bed, sagging the mattress through her added weight. Paige rolled slightly as the balance was made off-kilter, but she held tightly to the pillow beneath her. “Go away,” she said, voice muffled. 

“Paige, seriously…” Dani said, some apprehension in her voice. “You’re not alright. Don’t tell me that you are. I grew up with Sam, I know when a Guthrie’s lying to me.”

It wasn’t enough to make Paige turn over, only serving to make her grip the pillow tighter, pressing her face into it, ignoring the conversation that was progressing against her will. Again she felt Dani’s hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, comfortingly, like a friend wound. But Paige knew better than to consider Dani a friend. 

“Just tell me what’s wrong,” she asked again.

It was the breaking point for Paige Guthrie. She stood abruptly, the shifting weight destabilizing Dani. The girl made a break for the bathroom again, keeping her head down, eyes fixed on her feet. _Slam_. _Click_. The door locked behind her, and she crossed the bathroom to lock Dani’s side as well, trapping herself in the room. She could hear Dani’s footsteps, and then the knocks of protest, the concern in her voice. Running water echoed in the sink, blocking out the noise, leaving her alone with her thoughts — her demons. 

A dangerous, vicious cycle was at play, rendering her vulnerable and alone, but there was nowhere to turn. She _was_ alone. She had never felt so alone before. Not even Mortimer had helped her feel safe without her brother around. There had been times they were separated before, times where one or the other would return home, but it had never been like this: never had it been so pronounced. Things were different now, they would never be the same again. Sam had moved on with his life, greener pastures, bigger and better things.

“Paige Guthrie, I swear to God, I’m going to call Sam—” 

She was staring herself in the mirror now, finally looking at the scars on her face. It was burning. She was burning. A girl made of fire. Cautiously, a hand raised to her face. Her slender fingers rooted themselves on one of the cracks in the flesh, a nail digging under to loosen it. Holding it tightly between them, she pulled at it. The pink skin was slightly elastic as it tore away from the form beneath, stretching as her hand pulled away. It was only a thin layer of skin, but it held firmly, not once threatening to break. 

Heat radiated off of her. As she tore away at her skin, Paige revealed the layer beneath, made up entirely of a burning, caustic energy. It had threatened to consume her — and now she let it free.

There was a single moment of pure happiness. Freedom. Relief. Then everything fell apart. The control she held over the power was minimal. Flames jumped from her body, and she struggled to maintain them as they sparked and crackled. Embers hit the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and finally one lit, igniting the entire room in seconds. It spread to the door, but the solid oak barricaded her in, trapping her with the fire. Paige tried to wield it. It was _her_ , an extension of her, but she was too weak, too frail. 

It started to burn her alive.

Smoke — at least it looked like smoke — filled her lungs. She coughed, gasped, wheezed for breath, but no oxygen came, all of it being eaten by the flames. She hit the floor and everything went black. 

“Sam!—Sam, please… _help me_ _…_ ”

A pause, a brief reprieve from the pain and suffering. She had gone numb, desensitized to the feeling, and she opened her eyes, only to find herself back in the bathroom, fallen to her knees, but she was normal. Relatively. There was no radiation, no smoke, just her. Paige stood, looking in the mirror. Her scars were still there, she was — 

“Dani!”

She caught a glimpse of the girl’s reflection behind her in the mirror, somehow managing to unlock the door. There was guilt plastered on Danielle’s face, but she was doing her best to remain stoic and stern. “I got my powers back,” she said quietly. Though she was able to look Paige in the eye when using the mirror as a buffer, when the blonde girl turned around, her gaze fell. “You never asked.”

“ _You_ never asked!” she screamed in response. Her voice was hoarse and high-pitched, grating on her ears. “You don’t—you can’t—”

“You’re an X-Man, Paige,” Dani said, some pleading in her voice. “And I understand you’re going through something, I won’t admit that I know what it is, but we’re here for you. _I’m_ here for you.” She bit down on her lower lip, choosing her words carefully. “You’re not the only one that misses Sam. At least you don’t spend your time thinking the reason he left the X-Men is because of you. I thought that coming back here would mean I could see him again.” She paused. “Take up where we left off. But he left, and I’m always going to be wondering if it was because he didn’t want to see me.”

Paige exhaled through her nose, lip twitching in a desperate bid to not give off emotion. “Do me a favour, Dani… ’n get out of my room.” 

“If you want to talk—”

“If I wanted to talk, I woulda talked!” Her voice raised in pitch and ferocity, but her stoic gaze remained the same. 

Dani took the warning duly, stepping into the bathroom and carefully maneuvering around Paige to reach the door through which her own bedroom waited. “But even if I think he left because of me, I know it isn’t true,” she said, despite the advice clearly not being wanted. Dani looked over her shoulder as she unlocked the door to her room. “And he didn’t leave because of _you_ , either.”

“Out,” Paige snapped. 

After a curt nod, Dani stepped through the door, leaving Paige alone in the bathroom again. She turned slowly, staring at herself in the mirror. Broken. Burning. Tears were forming again, for what felt like the tenth time that day, but she blinked them away, leaving only the stinging dregs behind.

She leaned into the counter, trying to find a loose flap of skin. Securing her fingers around it, she pulled it taut, and a single file of flesh peeled away.

Beneath was another layer of her usual pink. Just like any other morning.


End file.
